The Evangelical Free

Church in Blairstown is
once again a Collection
Center for Operation
Christmas Child, which
is
a
project
of
Samaritan's Purse, an
international relief and
evangelism organization headed by Franklin
Graham. Since 1993,
Operation
Christmas
Child has delivered
gift-filled shoeboxes to

more that 113 million

children in more than
150 countries. In 2014,
Operation
Christmas
Child hopes to collect
enough shoebox gifts to
reach
another
10
million children.
How can you pack a
shoebox and participate
in
this
worldwide
effort? It's simple.
Go to samaritans
purse.org and click on

"Operation Christmas
Child" for step-by-step
instructions. Then drop
off your box at The
Evangelical
Free
Church on 11 Lambert
Rd. in Blairstown.
The church will be
open to receive your
shoebox gifts from
November 17 - 21 at
6-8 PM and November
22-24 at 10 AM to 2
PM.

The Foodshed Alliance

of Blairstown, has been
included in the Good
Food
Org
Guide,
published by the James
Beard Foundation and
Food
Tank,
listing
groups that do exemplary work in the areas
of food and agriculture,
nutrition and health,
hunger and obesity, and
food justice.
The Foodshed Alliance
is one of six New Jersey
nonprofits cited in the
Good
Food
Org
Guide.
The James Beard
Foundation and Food
Tank, along with a
prestigious
advisory
group of food system
experts, developed the
first annual Good Food
Org Guide, released in
October 2014.
Nonprofit, scholarly,
and municipal initiatives
have been selected in
order to spotlight efforts
that are focused on community building and
engagement, advocacy,
and service.
The Good Food Org
Guide can be downloaded at foodtank.com/
news/2014/10/foodtank-and-james-beard--

foundation-2014
-good-food-org-guide.
The
Foodshed
Alliance is honored to
be listed with so many
tremendously effective
organizations working
to effect change and fix
our
broken
food
system, said Kendrya
Close, executive director, Foodshed Alliance.
The vision and objective of this annual publication is to focus attention on the dozens of
nonprofit organizations
who are working in
fields, kitchens, classrooms,
laboratories,
businesses, town halls,
and Congress to create a
better food system.
The list was determined by distinguished
experts, including past
recipients of the James
Beard
Leadership
Award and food and
agriculture leaders.
We hope this guide
will serve as a resource
for chefs, farmers,
students, advocates, and
others to find the
resources they need
about the growing good
food movement in the
U.S.,
says
Susan
Ungaro, President of the

James Beard Foundation.

These groups cited in
the Good Food Org
Guide include organizations who combat
childhood
obesity,
malnourishment,
and
physical
inactivity;
prevent food waste;
educate consumers on
healthy, nutritious food
choices; create networks
of social entrepreneurs;
protect food and restaurant workers; highlight
solutions for restoring
the health of people and
the planet; work with
indigenous communities
to preserve traditions,
culture, and biodiversity; inspire and educate
individuals to cook
more of their own food;
and
protect
public
health, human health,
and the environment.
The Foodshed Alliance
was listed along with
these other New Jersey
organizations: Garden
State Urban Farms,
Isles, New Jersey AntiHunger Coalition, New
Jersey Farmers Market
Council of Farmers and
Communities, Tableto-Table and The Youth
Farmstand Program.

PUBLIC NOTICE: In
accordance with the
provisions of the Open
Public Meetings Act,
Chapter 231, P.L. 1975,
N.J.S.A.10:4-6 et seq.,
notice is hereby given
that the Warren County
Board of Chosen Freeholders will hold two
Special Meetings.
Special Meeting #1
shall be held on Thursday, November 13, 2014
at 7:00 p.m. at the
Warren County Court
House, 413 Second
Street, Belvidere, New
Jersey 07823 in Court
Room #1. Special Meeting #2 shall be held on

Thursday, December 11,

2014 at 1:00 p.m. at the
Mansfield
Township
Municipal Building, 100
Port Murray Road, Port
Murray, New Jersey
07865. The purpose of
said Special Meetings
shall be to conduct
Public Hearings on the
proposed sale by public
auction of the property
commonly known as the
Warren Haven Nursing
Home, 350 Oxford
Road, Oxford, New
Jersey, currently designated as Block 301, Lot
8 in the Township of
Mansfield, County of
Warren, New Jersey.

Copies of this notice

have been posted on the
second floor of the
Wayne Dumont, Jr.,
Administration Building, 165 Route 519
South, Belvidere, New
Jersey and filed in the
Office of the County
Clerk, Warren County
Court
House,
413
Second Street, Belvidere, New Jersey 07823.
History of Beekeeping
in America:
Roman
Osadca has been a
beekeeper for over 25
years and will present a
fascinating look into the
history of beekeeping
dating back from the
1600's to present time.
Roman is a member of
the Hardwick Twnsp
Historical Society and
will be speaking at the
Vass Homstead, 97
Stillwater Rd on Nov.
14th at 7:30PM. Admission is free but donations
are
gladly

accepted. There will be

fresh honey and organic
garlic for sale at the
conclusion of his talk.
On November 15th,
Blairstown Township
will be holding a public
land clean up day.
Blairstown
volunteer
groups, Girl Scouts, Boy
Scouts. Church groups,
etc. can earn money, as
well as help out their
community. Each group
of six can earn $200 or
more depending on the
number of volunteer
groups. There is a maximum of two groups per
organization.
Groups
will meet at the old recycling center on Lambert
Road to sign up and get
started. If interested,
please contact Maureen
DeSimone at recycling
@blairstowntwp-nj.com
or 908-310-2910.
The North Warren
Recreation Group is

welcoming
outdoor
enthusiasts that enjoy
things such as hiking,
bike riding, canoeing,
hunting, local fishing,
deep sea fishing trips,
golfing, archery and gun
target shooting, and
wildlife
sightseeing.
Hosting two activities a
month will be the goal
of the group. Email
Matthew at muconn47
@centurylink.net.
If theres one thing
Boy Scouts know, its
that the best part of
earning a badge is the
experience. And with
badges ranging from
backpacking to robotics,
there are tons of cool
experiences to be had.
So if your son is looking
for real adventure, get
him involved with Boy
Scouts of America.
Youll see firsthand how
once-in-a-lifetime
opportunities can lead to
a lifetime of success.
Join NJ Boy Scout
Troop 153; with members from Knowlton,
Blairstown, Frelinghuysen,
White
and
surrounding areas. For
more
information,
contact
Committee
Chair Laurie Meivogel

at
njbsatroop153@
gmail.com, ScoutMaster
Jeff Armstrong at 973214-0217, or Recruitment
Chair
Bob
Provencher at bob@
provencher.org; or visit
www.facebook.com/njb
satroop153.
Say Happy Birthday to your loved
ones in The PRESS!
Send us their names and
birthdays and well print
them here for free! You
can also send a photo
and birthday wish for a
small fee.
Did you know that its
free to publish engagement, wedding, birth
and
milestone
announcements in The
PRESS? All you have
to do is send us a quality
photo along with the
announcement information you wish to include!
Email is best, but you
can also drop off or mail
your submissions to The
PRESS at 1 Broadway,
Bangor, PA 18013.
Send your info to:
The PRESS,
1 Broadway,
Bangor, PA 18013; or
thepressmail@gmail.com

Dont Forget to
Like us on Facebook!

packed in front cuddled

in his sling.
He stares at his
mommy as she sings
songs of joy and
strength
and
then
glances around to the
other
singers
with
smiles on his face.
He looks as though he
wants to join in. He
looks and looks until
you can see his eyes get
heavy, being lulled by
the harmonious notes
until his eyelids cant
stay open.
Then you see his head
rest upon Alicia's chest
where he hears the notes
even louder and perhaps

By
Doreen
Rutherford/The PRESS
As I sat in Church the
week before last I was
amazed to see a little
baby in the choir.
It was so fascinating to
watch. We know babies
love music and it has
been 100% proven to
enhance early development of the brain.
I have seen moms use
baby buds on their belly
during pregnancy to
fulfill the musical aspect
of nurturing.
Moms drive their new
babies to Kindermusik
classes to satisfy the
music drive, but this
little choir baby, Garrus,
is seen peeping out of
his mommies front
pack.
It was the absolute best
idea I have seen.
Let me introduce
Garrus and Alicia to
you. Alicia, Garrus's
mother grew up in

Newton and enjoyed

singing during high
school with her choir
director, Mr. Scott.
She was so moved by it
that she attended and
graduated Westminster,
studying voice and
music education, in
2004.
When she met and
married her husband
Ryan they began planning their family as new
couples do.
But the road for Alicia
would not be an easy
one. Soon after the joy
of her first pregnancy
was realized, at the 5th
month she lost the baby
learning she had an
incompetent cervix.
Ryan and Alicia tried
again and were successful, but only to lose the
baby again at about the
same term. They were
devastated.
Alicia was struggling
with the idea of trying

for the third, not knowing if they could handle

another tragic loss when
in 2010 her husband,
Ryan was diagnosed
with Testicular Cancer.
They were told they
would not be able to
have a child with the
surmounting complications. He underwent
emergency surgery and
treatment follow ups
successfully.
To Alicia and Ryan's
Surprise Garrus came
along beating all the
odds.
The need to rejoice and
sing overflowed from
Alicia and she even
sang through the birthing of Garrus.
As she regained her
strength and Garrus
began to grow out of his
newborn phase, Alicia
reunited with her Choir
instructor Mr. Scott at
Yellow Frame Church
and sang with Garrus

is a more familiar sound

to him that he once
heard when he was
growing within and falls
asleep.
The choir and congregation is comfortable
with children and it is
wonderful to see them at
such a young age being
introduced to music at
such depth.
The choir singer next
to Alicia and Garrus is
the next runner up as she
also is expecting and her
child is enjoying the
marvels, secrets and
joys of music as Garrus
does, before even seeing
his/her mothers face.

Learn About Microsoft PowerPoint &

Outlook: Nov. 13th &
29th, 6pm-9pm. Project Self-Sufficiencys
Main St. location FMI,
call 973-940-3500.
Blairstown
Seniors
Annual
Christmas
Party: Dec. 6th, noon3:30pm. Lions Hall.
Must sign up to attend.
Sign up is Nov. 7th,
1pm at Town Hall. FMI,
call Mickey at 908362-8919 or Peg at
908-362-8631.
Fish & Chips Dinner &

Bake Sale: Nov. 13th,

5pm-7pm. Tranquility
UMC, Tranquility Community
House,
4
Kennedy Rd. (Rt. 611)
at Rt. 517. Takeout
available. Must reserve
tickets. Call 908-8501092 or 973-786-5318.
A Touch of Sinatra
Gazebo
Concert
Series: Nov. 14th, 7pm.
Catherine
Dickson
Hofman Library, 4 Lambert Rd., Blairstown.
Enjoy the life & music
of Frank Sinatra as
presented by Donnie
Farraro. FMI, call 908-

362-8335.
Bingo at St. Jude
McNulty Hall, 7 Eisenhower Road, Blairstown,
Saturday,
November 15th: Sponsored by the St. Jude
Ladies Guild. Doors
open at 6:30pm, Games
start at 7:15pm. No One
Under 18 Admitted.
Contact Gladys for more
information at 908459-3210 or 862-2202693.
Historic
Blairstown
Theatre and Fat Cat
Productions invite you
to audition for A
Christmas Carol, the
classic Charles Dickens
holiday tale brought to
stage as a 1940s radio
show. For more information, please call
908-303-4675.
Ham Dinner at Broadway United Methodist
Church, 2233 Rt. 57,
Broadway, NJ. Saturday
November 15th, 4-7
PM. Call 908-689-6951.
Warren
County
Library Presents 13,
the Musical, November
15 at 1:00 the Warren
County Library, located
at 2 Shotwell Drive,
Belvidere, will host
Applause Theater as
they present 13, the
Musical. 13, a rollicking live musical comedy

featuring a cast of
teenagers is presented
by Applause Theater.
Evan's happy life in
New York City is blown
apart when his parents
divorce and his mother
announces they are
moving to a small town
in the Midwest where he
knows no one and the
culture and customs are
unfamiliar
to
him.
Based on the book, 13,
by Jason Robert Brown
and Dan Elish. 13 is for
kids in 6th grade and up.
Registration is required.
33rd Annual Fall Craft
Fair sponsored by
Northwest Christian
School on Saturday,
November 22, 2014
from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00
P.M., at the Sussex
County Fairgrounds in
Augusta, New Jersey.
Visit over 100 tables of
juried artists and crafters
featuring handcrafted
items made using a
variety of techniques
and mediums. Visit the
bake sale area featuring
a large selection of
homemade
goodies,
including the schools
famous
homemade
apple pies.
Food
concessions will be
available all day providing homemade soups,
chili, nachos, hotdogs,
beverages and fresh
baked desserts. Admission is free. For directions,
visit
www.njstatefair.org.
Free Adult Co-Ed
Aerobics
Classes:
Mon. & Wed., 10am;
Sat.,
9am;
Tues.,
Thurs. & Fri., 4:45pm.
Johnsonburg Town Hall.
FMI,
visit
www.
frelinghuysen-nj.us/
aerobics.htm or call
Cathy at 908-852-7426.

(NAPSI)Home
owners can prepare for
cold weather by taking
simple
energy
efficiency measures that
will reduce energy
consumption
and
heating bills.
What You Can Do
Install and set a
programmable thermostat. Homeowners can
save an estimated 10
percent per year on
heating costs by using a
programmable thermostat and setting the heat
to run only when theyre
home.
Use sunlight to your
advantage.
During
winter months, take
advantage of sunlight by
opening curtains during
the day to allow the sun
to naturally heat your
home.
Reduce energy for
water heating. Water
heating accounts for
roughly 14 to 18 percent
of most home utility
bills. Reduce costs by
making sure your water
heater is set no higher
than 120 degrees Fahrenheit and wrapping a
water heater jacket
around it if its more
than five years old.

Use a heavy-duty,
clear plastic sheet on a
frame or tape clear
plastic film to the inside
of your window frames.
Make sure the plastic is
sealed tightly to the
frame to help reduce
infiltration.
Install tight-fitting,
insulating drapes or
shades on windows that
feel drafty after weatherizing.
When using the oven,
resist the temptation to
open the door to check
on a dishs progress.
Every time you do, the
temperature inside is
reduced by as much as
25 degrees, forcing it to
work even harder (and
use more energy) to get
back to the proper cooking temperature.
Keep your fireplace
damper closed unless a
fire is burning.
Keeping the damper
open is like keeping a
window wide open; it
lets warm air go right up
the chimney.
Have a technician
inspect and confirm that
your appliances are
running as efficiently as
possible, so you can
conserve fuel and save

money.
Hire a professional to
maintain your heating
system. Arrange for
annual
maintenance
with a qualified technician. This includes
checking the airflow
over the coil, checking
that the combustion
process
and
heat
exchanger are operating
safely, and ensuring
proper airflow to each
room.
Clean the air filters
once a month and
replace them regularly.
Consider purchasing
a propane generator.
When other power
sources fail, a propane
generator can keep your
house operating without
interruption. Propane is
an approved clean alternative fuel under the
Clean Air Act. Its a
nontoxic, Americanmade fuel that doesnt

contaminate groundwater or soil and a lowcarbon alternative fuel

that produces significantly fewer greenhouse
gas emissions than most
other energy sources.
Call your propane
provider to discuss
contracts,
delivery
options and payment
plans that fit your
budget
and
needs,
advise the experts at the
Propane Education &
Research Council.
By planning ahead
and taking steps to
reduce energy consumption, homeowners can
help make sure everyone has a comfortable
and safe winter, says
Roy Willis, PERC president and CEO.
Learn More
Further tips and other
resources can be found
at
www.Propane
Comfort.com.

Adding A Touch Of Warmth

To Your Holiday Celebration
(NAPSI)At holiday
time or anytime, for
many busy people, a fire
in the fireplace can
provide an escape from
day-to-day chaos, an
opportunity for a romantic interlude, or a great
accompaniment to an
entertaining
evening
with family and friends.
Making that even
easier is a natureinspired firelog that can
transport you to a different place and time with
the strike of a match.
Crafted from real hardwoods and featuring up
to a 24 percent more
efficient burn than that
of other brands, Pine
Mountain fire logs
burn cleaner and greener

than ordinary cordwood.

You simply place the
firelog on the fireplace
grate and light the
arrows marked on the
wrapper.
Then, sit back and
enjoy a beautiful fire.
Pine Mountain firelogs
are available in two-,
three- or four-hour burn
times. As the match is lit
and the fire begins,
chaos can turn to comfort for you and your
family.
Learn More
For further information,
go
to
www.pinemountainfire.
c
o
m
,
www.facebook.com/Pin
eMountainFire or call
(877) 402-5185.

The Pet Adoption

League of Hackettstown is holding a
clothing drive on Saturday, November 22nd
between the hours of 11
am and 2 pm at Arbys,
Route 57, Mansfield.
Acceptable items are
NEW or GENTLY used
mixed clothing of all
sizes; shoes, belts, ties,
jackets, sweaters, vests,
blouses,
dresses,
curtains,
blankets,
sheets, towels and much
more!

For more information

please visit our website
at
www.palpets.org,
email
us
at
info@palpets.org or call
973-584-0095.
Arbys is also supporting PAL the same day by
donating 15% of all
proceeds between 11 am
and 2 pm.
All proceeds from this
fundraiser
will
go
towards the care of
homeless animals in our
care. Start your Fall
Cleaning now!

The Fifty Plus Club of

the Chesters Annual
Halloween
Party
brought many ghouls
and goblins to the meeting at the Community
Presbyterian
Church
Hall in Chester, NJ.
Outrageously
costumed members created
a real spirit of Halloween with much laughter
and good fun.
The highlight of the
day was our own Harry
Gorman with his warning,
"Repent
the
Halloween Moon is
Near".
His bottoms-up Moon
surprised us all!. There
were horses and clowns,
witches and ghosts, and
the hunchback monster,
to name a few, circulating thruout the room
enlivening the spirit of
an
old
fashioned
Halloween.
Prizes awarded were:
1st place, John Lefand,
the hunchback monster;
2nd place, Bob Lott, the
ghost; 3rd place,Harry
Gorman, The Halloween Moon.
The Fifty Plus Club of
the Chesters meets on
the second and fourth
Tuesday of every month
at 10:30 AM in the
Hall of the Community
Presbyterian Church on
Main Street in Chester,

the business meeting

begins at 11 o'clock and
is followed by a
program.
You can bring a sandwhich if you desire,
coffee and cake is
always provided. Residents having reached
the magic age of 50
years are welcome to
join this fun loving
group.
The Club's next activity will be a Christmas
Luncheon Party to be
held at the Publick
House on Main St. in

Chester.
Each year, we have 6-7
day trips and 2 multi day
trips. In addition, during
the past year many
members went on a trip
to Hawaii with a direct
flight to Honolulu, and a
7 day cruise visiting the
Islands. Members will
be cruising to the Caribbean Islands in February. In December, a new
2015 Brochure will
outline the trips planned
for the year.
The Fifty Plus Club of
the Chesters invites all

senior citizens of Chester Township, Chester

Borough and Washington Township to join us.
The objective of the
club is to provide social
activities and to share
educational and recreational programs.
Our programs vary
including
speakers,
entertainment
and
parties.
Some
activities
planned are miniature
golf, going out to lunch,
and attending local
theater productions.

A consortium of local
businesses, educators
and non-profit organizations gathered to kick
off the annual Season of
Hope Toy Drive with a
challenge to individuals,
schools
and
businesses
serving
Sussex and Northern
Warren County: Collect
enough toys by mid-

December to enable
over 1,500 children to
have a memorable and
happy holiday. Sussex
County
Board
of
Chosen
Freeholders
Director
Richard
Vohden addressed the
group clad as Santa
Claus to punctuate the
importance of the effort.
Holiday carols were

provided by a barbershop quartet from the

High Point Harmonizers.
Attendees also
heard a former agency
participant,
Cheryl
Ross, speak about the
impact the toy drive had
on her growing family.
The group aims to
gather thousands of new
and unwrapped items to

distribute to families in
need during midDecember.
Greg
Murphy, CEO of Selective Insurance Company
of America, spoke of
the significance of the
effort, Project SelfSufficiencys Season of
Hope toy shop can help
make a childs Christmas a merry one. Local
residents who donate a
new, unwrapped toy
have the comfort of
knowing that they
contributed to the joy of
children in our own
community on what
should always be a very
special day. That, to
me, is the spirit of
Christmas we all want
to share.
The annual Season of
Hope Toy Drive has
served thousands of
children in Sussex
County for many years.
The initiative solicits
donations
from
individuals, businesses,
civic
organizations,
schools, youth groups,
athletic teams and other
groups
throughout
November and early
December.
This year, area elementary schools, middle
schools
and
high
schools will also be
asked to participate in a
competitive Stuff the
Stocking
campaign,
similar in scope to the

popular Stuff the Bus

effort
which
has
successfully filled the
shelves at the Sussex
County Board of Social
Services food pantry
during the past few
years. "On behalf of the
superintendents of our
Sussex County schools,
we are thrilled to have
our students participate
in the Stuff the Stocking Campaign, commented Dr. Ken Greene,
Superintendent of the
Newton School District.
My family relied on
the Season of Hope toy
drive for many years. I
was a single mother
raising four children,
and there were times
when
money
was
extremely tight in our
household, explained
former Project SelfSufficiency participant
Cheryl Ross. As a
result of this agency,
and the toy drive and the
other
support
we
received throughout the
year,
my
children
learned the importance
of giving as well as
receiving. My children
are adults now, and we
all work hard to give
back to the community.
It is a privilege to give
other families the gift of
hope that we received
during the holiday
season, and all year
long.

A wish list has been

assembled for those
who want to contribute,
but may be unsure of
what to donate. Items
needed for teens include
electronics,
such as
calculators,
watches,
portable music devices,
computer games and
software, popular CDs;
make-up,
perfume,
scented lotions, hair
dryers, hair straighteners,
curling
irons;
jewelry and accessories;
sports equipment and
team gear, such as tshirts, sweatshirts, and
hats; popular books;
clothing and pajamas;
and backpacks.
Items
sought
for
younger
children
include books; legos,
blocks and buildinig
toys; action figures;
DVDs
and
CDs;
electronic
learning
games; infant toys;
multicultural dolls and
toys; Play Doh; trading
and collectible cards;
matchbox cars; trendy
toys. In addition, gift
cards, wrapping paper,
gift bags, gift boxes and
stocking stuffers are
always
appreciated.
Items can be dropped
off at Project SelfSufficiency, 127 Mill
Street,
Newton,
Monday Thursday,,
9am 8pm, Friday, 9am
4pm.

Educators, counselors,
county officials and
concerned citizens took
part in a special conference in October that
focused on drug trends
in Warren County, and
elsewhere..
The Coalition for
Healthy and Safe Communities, a program of
the Family Guidance
Center
of
Warren
County, in association
with the Warren County
Prosecutor's
Office,
sponsored The Science
of Addiction: Removing
the Stigma, at Centenary College.
Over 75 people, with

varying backgrounds
and interests, attended
the event that featured
several speakers.
The purpose of the
conference was to bring
the
community
together to begin to
understand addiction,
the stigma attached and
to develop a comprehensive county-wide
substance
abuse
prevention plan so that
Warren County youth,
young
adults
and
residents do not suffer
the consequences of
substance abuse," said
MaryJo Harris of the
coalition and a coordi-

nator of the event.

"Addiction not only
affects the individual, it
has an impact on their
family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and
the community at large.
We have to face this
issue as a united front
and the only way to do
this is to stop working
in silos and pool our
resources.
Dr. Kevin Sabet "highlighted" recent trends of
marijuana use, noting
that many residents of
Colorado
have
expressed concern over
how legalization has
played out in that state.

Women who have lost

their primary source of
income due to the death
or disability of their
spouse or after divorce
or separation may be
eligible for employment
readiness training at no
charge
from
NORWESCAPs Career
& Life Transitions
Center for Women.
Services the Career &
Life Transitions Center
offers focus on assisting
women prepare for a
return to the workforce
and includes a 50-hour
computer
training

program, career interest

inventories,
career
counseling, job search
skills, a job club,
support
groups,
confidence-building
workshop, and referrals
to
community
resources. The Career
& Life Transitions
Center also provides
these services to women
who have been in a long
term relationship that
has ended, women with
spouses who have been
actively deployed, as
well as to women who
must return to the workforce when their spouse
has become unemployed.

To learn more about

the Career & Life Transitions Center or to
register for one of the
upcoming orientations
scheduled for Thursday,
November 20th
or
Thursday,
December
4th
at 10:00 a.m.,
please call 908-8352624. The CLTC is
located at 16 Broad
Street Suite 7, Washington NJ.
Displaced Homemakers have traditionally
been out of the job
market for a significant
period of time, lack
marketable skills and
are now faced with
supporting both them-

selves and their family.

The Career & Life Transitions
Center
for
Women, sponsored by
NORWESCAP,
has
been serving displaced
homemakers in Warren,
Hunterdon, Somerset
and Mercer Counties for
over 30 years.
Services the Career &
Life Transitions Center
offers focus on assisting
women prepare for a
return to the workforce
and includes a computer
training program, career
interest
inventories,
career counseling, job
search skills, support
groups,
self-esteem
workshops, and referrals to community
resources. The mission
of the Career & Life
Transitions Center is to
provide quality services
that will assist women
gain
personal
and
economic
selfsufficiency and reach
their
full
potential
through education training, job readiness, community referrals and
supportive services.
NORWESCAP is a
non-profit community
action agency established in 1965 that
creates opportunities for
over 30,000 low-income
people in northwest
New Jersey by providing a large portfolio of
self-sufficiency
and
emergency
services.
The mission of NORWESCAP is Strengthening communities by
creating opportunities
that impact poverty.

( N A P S I ) Yo u r
adopted pet could be
named in an upcoming
novel, thanks to a
unique contest.
Pet parents are invited
to submit their pets
adoption story and tell
Nicholas
Sparksperhaps best known for
such novels as The
Notebook, The Best
of Me and The
Longest Rideabout
the effect their adopted
pet has had on their
lives. Sparks will select
the most heartwarming
adoption story and the
winners adopted pet
will be named in one of
his upcoming novels.
The winning story will
also be featured on
Sparkss website, along
with an introduction by
the author.
Not many people know
this about Sparks, but he
has a long-standing love
for shelter pets.
Growing up, I always
had adopted dogs, and
adopting pets is something my family has
done for years. We think
adopting from a shelter
is an incredible opportunity to bring a pet into
your home and find a
lifelong companion,
said Sparks.
Sparks and his family
currently have three
dogs at homeSusie,
Boomer and Bowho
were all adopted from
shelters. Each of the
dogs has a unique story
and interesting personality quirks that drew
Sparks to them.
Susie, for example, is a

shih tzu mix who snorts,

snores and even purrs
like a cat. Sparks says
shes the definition of a
low-maintenance dog
and loves to take naps.
Boomer, the golden
retriever, had a particularly tough start in life
as he was suffering from
terrible heartworms at
the shelter. Sparks and
his family adopted
Boomer and had his
heartworms
treated.
Now, Boomer has found
his calling in the
waterhe loves to dive
and take dips in the
pool. The third dog, Bo,
a mixed breed, is a
happy-go-lucky
pup
who lives life to the
fullest and has really
bonded with Sparkss
kids.
Sparks teamed up with
Pet-Smart Charities, the
largest pet adopter in
North America, to bring
attention to shelter pets
and encourage others
who are looking for a
pet to choose adoption.
The Fall into a Nicholas Sparks Love Story
Contest is one way to
celebrate all the amazing pet adoption stories
out there.
Submissions for the
contest will be open
from Nov. 3 through
Dec. 14. For more
details and information
on how to enter, visit
www.petsmartcharities.
org/campaigns/are-you-head-over-paws-for-your-adopted-pet.

The Land Conservancy

of New Jersey is pleased
to announce the preservation of 137 acres of
scenic farmland in the
agricultural heartland of
Warren County in Hope
Township. Once slated
for a truck rest stop, this
land has instead been

permanently protected
thanks to the foresight
and partnership of the
Warren County Board
of Chosen Freeholders
and The Land Conservancy. A local landmark, Beaver Brook
farm is clearly visible to
thousands of travelers

daily from Exit 12 on

Route 80 and has
breathtakingly beautiful
views of Jenny Jump
Mountain.
The Beaver Brook runs
through the back portion
of the farm, just
upstream from where
the stream enters Jenny
Jump State Forest. The
cornfields closest to the
river contain soils of
statewide importance,
indicative of the productivity of its agricultural
fields. In addition, a
significant portion of
the property is identified
as habitat for federally
listed
endangered
species, and assigned
bio-diversity Rank 5,
the highest designation.
In furthering our
communitys desire to
protect quality farmland, we are proud to
announce the preservation of another great
working farm here,

Warren County Freeholder Richard D. Gardner said, adding, This

brings us to a total of
236 preserved farms
comprising over 21,700
acres, so this has been a
very popular program
over the years with
many important benefits
to
our
county
residents.
When the Manley
family approached The
Conservancy about their
farm in 2012, we knew
we had to extend
ourselves and find a
way to preserve this
beautiful and productive
farm, said Sandy Urgo,
Director of Land Preservation for The Conservancy. The final preservation plan included
two farms; the Manley
property and another
smaller farm along
Route 521, which was
purchased
by
The
Conservancy.

This farm could not

have been preserved
without the partnership
of the Warren County
Agriculture Development Board and the
Warren County Freeholders, said David
Epstein, President of
The Land Conservancy.
We also appreciate the
faith the Conservancys
Board of Directors
placed in our staff, and
their willingness to
make
this
project
happen, Epstein said,
noting, This was truly a
major team effort.
Beaver Brook Farm
ranked very high based
on criteria that has been
developed by the State
Agriculture Development Committee, due to
its above average size
and
percentage
of
tillable
land.
The
preserved farm includes
a barn which has been
partially renovated into
a residence along Johnsonburg Road. The farm
is now available for
purchase by interested
buyers as a deed
restricted farm and
individuals
should
contact Urgo, The Land
Conservancys Director
of Land Preservation,
for more information.
For more information,
call (973) 541-1010, or
visit www.tlc-nj.org.

The Romano Gallery

welcomes artists and
longtime friends Harry
I. Naar, Mel Leipzig
and Judith K. Brodsky,
who will exhibit a
varied show of paintings and drawings from
November 4 to December 13, 2014. An artists
reception that is free
and open to the public
will be held on Thursday, November 13 at 7
p.m.
With a background in
20th-century modernism, the artists work
also includes representational and figurative
elements of a 21stcentury perspective,
said gallery co-director
Rita Baragona.
Though their work
often reflects similar
origins and motifs, Mr.
Naar, Mr. Leipzig and
Ms. Brodsky create
very
individual
artworks that often
explore the intellectual,
political and social
issues of our time.
In addition to cultivating their own artistic
visions and careers, the
three
have
played
important
roles
in
teaching and furthering
the careers of young
artists in New Jersey
over the years. Blairs
student artists will have

an opportunity to meet
with Mr. Leipzig and
Mr. Naar when they
visit campus in November. In addition to
speaking at the reception opening, they will
attend select fine arts
classes to see Blairs
artists at work.
Mr. Naar is a longtime
professor of visual art at
Rider University, where
he began his teaching
career more than 30
years ago. He is also
director of the schools
art
gallery,
which
frequently showcases
the work of New Jersey
artists. Currently, Mr.
Naars drawings are
showing in the New
Jersey State Museums
exhibition, America
Through Artists Eyes.
His work was also
included in the Invitational Exhibition of
Visual Arts of the
American Academy of
Arts and Letters, where
he won the Hassam,
Speicher, Betts, and
Symons Purchase Fund
award.
Ms. Brodsky, an artist,
printmaker and arts
advocate, worked for
many years as a distinguished professor of
visual arts at Rutgers
University. During her
tenure at Rutgers, she

established two art

institutes
at
the
schoolThe Brodsky
Center for Innovative
Editions
and
The
Rutgers
University
Institute for Women and
Art. She has organized
and curated many exhibitions and written
extensively
about
womens influence on
the arts.
For 45 years, Mr.
Leipzig
taught
at
Mercer County Community College in West
Windsor
Township,
New Jersey, where he
educated generations of
young artists on painting and art history. All
the while, Mr. Leipzig
had a flourishing career
as a painter, during
which he exhibited his
work in solo and group
showings across the
country, though his
work
was
most
frequently featured in
New Jersey galleries.
Among
the
many
collections in which Mr.
Leipzigs photorealistic
works can be found are
the
White
House
Collection in Washington, D.C.; the Whitney
Museum in New York
City; the Yale Art
Gallery in New Haven,
Connecticut;
the
National Endowment

for the Arts Gallery in

Washington, D.C., the
New
Jersey
State
Museum in Trenton,
New Jersey; and the
Cooper-Hewitt
Museum in New York
City.